英语听书《海底两万里》第401期 第25章 地中海四十八小时(27)

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Can you picture, I asked them, what this funnel² must have been like when it was filled with boiling lava³, and the level of that incandescent⁴ liquid rose right to the mountain's mouth, like cast iron up the insides of a furnace? 你们想想，我问他们，当这个漏斗里面充满沸腾的火石，并且这种白热流质的水平面一直高到山的出口，像熔铁在熔炉里一样，那时候漏斗的情形是怎样呢？

I can picture it perfectly⁵, Conseil replied. But will master tell me why this huge smelter suspended operations, and how it is that an oven was replaced by the tranquil⁶ waters of a lake? 我心中完全可以想象这种情形，康塞尔回答，但先生是否可以告诉我，那位伟大的熔铸人为什么停止他的工作，那熔炉里面怎样又换了静静的湖水？

In all likelihood, Conseil, because some convulsion created an opening below the surface of the ocean, the opening that serves as a passageway for the Nautilus.  康塞尔，很可能的理由大概是因为海洋底下发生地形的变化，造成了现在作为诺第留斯号的航道的出口。

Then the waters of the Atlantic rushed inside the mountain.  大西洋的海水于是流入火山内部来了。

There ensued a dreadful struggle between the elements of fire and water, a struggle ending in King Neptune's favor.  当时水火两元素展开了猛烈的斗争，斗争的结果是涅豆尼海王胜利。

But many centuries have passed since then, and this submerged volcano has changed into a peaceful cavern⁷. 但此后又不知道过了多少世纪，被水沉没的火山，就转变为安静乎和的岩洞。

That's fine, Ned Land answered. I accept the explanation, but in our personal interests, I'm sorry this opening the professor mentions wasn't made above sea level. 很好，尼德·兰回答，我接受上面的解释，不过，为我们的利益起见，我很惋惜教授说的那个口为什么不开在海平面上。

But Ned my friend, Conseil answered, if it weren't an underwater passageway, the Nautilus couldn't enter it! 不过，尼德朋友，康塞尔回答，如果这口不是在地下，那诺第留斯号就不能穿进来了！

And I might add, Mr. Land, I said, that the waters wouldn't have rushed under the mountain, and the volcano would still be a volcano. So you have nothing to be sorry about. 兰师傅，我又得说，如果海水不从山底下冲进去，火山也还是火山。所以您的惋惜是多余的。

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